Work Visas
The UK is the 5th largest economy in the world and many of its cities are recognised as international business hubs, making it a great place to work and live for all. Our immigration lawyers have helped numerous applicants with their UK entry clearance and visa extension applications.
The UK economy is one of the most powerful in Europe and possesses a workforce of almost 32 million people and it is also the most popular immigration destination for immigrants wishing to live and work in a new country.
The Brexit transition period ended on 31 December 2020.
Starting from 1 January 2021, a new immigration system has come into effect, under which all foreign nationals are treated equally, excepting Irish citizens. Irish citizens will remain free to work in the UK without a visa.
Under the new immigration system, all foreign nationals (except for Irish citizens) are required to apply for a visa to live and work in the UK.
The old tier-based work visas have been replaced by a points-based immigration system. Every visa category has its own requirements.
The old Tier 2 (General) visa category has been replaced by a new ‘Skilled Worker’ category, including the Skilled Worker visa and Health and Care Worker visa.
As with the old Tier 2 visas, employers wanting to hire foreign nationals in the Skilled Worker category need a sponsor licence. We have many years of experience in this area and we can assist you to obtain a sponsor licence.
The new rules are beneficial to employers of skilled foreign nationals because the residence labour market test has been abolished, both the minimum skill and minimum salary levels have been lowered, and there is no longer an annual cap on the number of work visas which can be issued.
The old Tier 2 (Intra-company Transfer) visa category has simply been renamed Intra-company Transfer (ITC), however, the skills threshold and overall minimum salary will remain the same at RQF level 6 and £41,500 respectively. The ICT route can be a good option where a requirement of the Skilled Worker visa is not met, for example the English language requirement.
Other non-point-based work visas are the Sole Representative visa and UK Ancestry visa.
Our team of immigration lawyers has vast experience in assisting with Work visas. For more information on applying for any of the Work visa categories, please contact our experienced immigration lawyers on 07429429892, 02038563516 or info@dmlawpractice.com